GeForce RTX 3050 8GB vs Radeon HD 7870 XT
GeForce RTX 3050 8GB
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Radeon HD 7870 XT
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
About G3D Mark
G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar GeForce RTX 3050 8GB
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB is significantly newer (2022 vs 2012). The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 7870 XT lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 180.4% higher G3D Mark score and 300% more VRAM (8 GB vs 2 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 7870 XT.
| Insight | GeForce RTX 3050 8GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+180.4%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-180.4%) |
| Longevity | 🏆Elite Architecture (Ampere (2020−2025) / 8nm) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) |
| Ecosystem | ✨ DLSS 3/4 + Frame Gen Support | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | 🎮 High Capacity (8 GB) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | Standard Size (267mm) |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $209 versus $270 for the Radeon HD 7870 XT, it costs 23% less. While it maintains competitive performance, this results in a 262.3% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | GeForce RTX 3050 8GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+262.3%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($209) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($270) |
Performance Check
Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.
Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3050 8GB and Radeon HD 7870 XT
GeForce RTX 3050 8GB
The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1552 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 20 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,535 points. Launch price was $249.
Radeon HD 7870 XT
The Radeon HD 7870 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 19 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 925 MHz to 975 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 185W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,470 points. Launch price was $270.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 8GB scores 12,535 versus the Radeon HD 7870 XT's 4,470 — the GeForce RTX 3050 8GB leads by 180.4%. The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 7870 XT uses GCN 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 8GB) vs 1,536 (Radeon HD 7870 XT). Raw compute: 9.098 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 8GB) vs 2.995 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870 XT). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 975 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 8GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 12,535+180% | 4,470 |
| Architecture | Ampere | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 2560+67% | 1536 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 9.098 TFLOPS+204% | 2.995 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 1777 MHz+82% | 975 MHz |
| ROPs | 32 | 32 |
| TMUs | 80 | 96+20% |
| L1 Cache | 2.5 MB+558% | 0.38 MB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+300% | 0.5 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon HD 7870 XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 8GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | DLSS 2.0 | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | FSR 3 / AFMF (Compatible) | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | NVIDIA Reflex | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7870 XT has 2 GB. The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 8GB) vs 192 GB/s (Radeon HD 7870 XT) — a 16.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3050 8GB. Bus width: 128-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 8GB) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7870 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3050 8GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 8GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB+300% | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 224 GB/s+17% | 192 GB/s |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 256-bit+100% |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+300% | 0.5 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 8GB) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7870 XT). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 8GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12 (11_1) |
| Vulkan | 1.4+17% | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3050 8GB) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7870 XT). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3050 8GB) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 7870 XT).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 8GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 7th gen | VCE 1.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC 5th gen | UVD 3.2 |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB draws 130W versus the Radeon HD 7870 XT's 185W — a 34.9% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce RTX 3050 8GB) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7870 XT). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 66°C vs 80.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 8GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 130W-30% | 185W |
| Recommended PSU | 450W-10% | 500W |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Length | 242mm | 267mm |
| Height | 112mm | 111mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 66°C-18% | 80 |
| Perf/Watt | 96.4+298% | 24.2 |
Value Analysis
The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB launched at $249 MSRP and currently averages $209, while the Radeon HD 7870 XT launched at $270 and now averages $270. The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB costs 22.6% less ($61 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 60.0 (GeForce RTX 3050 8GB) vs 16.6 (Radeon HD 7870 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3050 8GB offers 261.4% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2012).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3050 8GB | Radeon HD 7870 XT |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $249-8% | $270 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $209-23% | $270 |
| Performance per Dollar | 60.0+261% | 16.6 |
| Codename | GA106 | Tahiti |
| Release | January 4 2022 | November 19 2012 |
| Ranking | #211 | #469 |
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